Brazil 2014 World Cup: Results/schedule

updated 5:37 AM EDT, Mon July 14, 2014

Germany's Mario Gotze scores the goal that would decide the World Cup final Sunday, July 13, in Rio de Janeiro. Gotze, a late substitute, scored the goal in extra time as Germany won 1-0. Click through the gallery to see all the goals scored in the World Cup.

Georginio Wijnaldum of the Netherlands celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the third-place playoff match against Brazil on Saturday, July 12, in Brasilia, Brazil. The Netherlands defeated Brazil 3-0.

Netherlands defender Daley Blind celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-0.

Robin van Persie of the Netherlands shoots and scores the first goal of the third-place match.

Oscar of Brazil scores a late second-half goal against Germany during a World Cup semifinal match played Tuesday, July 8, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. But it was no consolation for the home team, which was knocked out of the tournament by a stunning score of 7-1.

Andre Schuerrle of Germany celebrates scoring his team's seventh goal. It was his second goal of the game.

Schuerrle, right, pumps his fist after making the score 6-0.

Brazil's David Luiz stands near a group of German players as they celebrate their fifth goal. Germany led 5-0 at halftime.

Germany's Toni Kroos, second from left, celebrates scoring his second goal of the game. It put his team up 4-0.

Kroos is lifted in the air by teammate Sami Khedira after he scored to put Germany up 3-0.

Germany's Miroslav Klose, second from left, scores his team's second goal. The goal also made Klose the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.

Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina, left, celebrates his goal against Belgium in a World Cup quarterfinal match Saturday, July 5, in Brasilia, Brazil. It was the only goal of the match.

Colombia's James Rodriguez scores a second-half penalty against Brazil during a World Cup quarterfinal match Friday, July 4, in Fortaleza, Brazil. But Brazil held on to win 2-1 and advance to the semifinals.

David Luiz gave Brazil a 2-0 lead with a stunning long-range free kick in the second half.

Brazil's captain, Thiago Silva, redirects a corner kick into the net to give his team a 1-0 lead over Colombia early in the first half.

The ball flies by French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after a header by Germany's Mats Hummels opened the scoring in their World Cup quarterfinal July 4 in Rio de Janeiro. It was the only goal in the match as Germany won to advance to the semifinals.

Julian Green of the United States scores a goal against Belgium during extra time of a World Cup round-of-16 match Tuesday, July 1, in Salvador, Brazil. Belgium won the match 2-1, however, to advance to the quarterfinals of the soccer tournament.

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku scores his team's second goal in extra time. The game was scoreless after regulation.

Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne scores the first goal of the match.

Argentina players Lionel Messi, left, and Angel Di Maria celebrate after Di Maria scored the winning goal in extra time to beat Switzerland 1-0 and advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.

Abdelmoumene Djabou of Algeria shoots and scores his team's first goal in extra time during a World Cup round-of-16 match against Germany on Monday, June 30, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Despite the late goal, Germany still advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory.

Andre Schuerrle, center, scores a backheel goal in extra time to give Germany a 1-0 lead over Algeria.

The ball hits Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo, right, before going into his own net during a World Cup match against France on June 30, in Brasilia, Brazil. France advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory.

Paul Pogba of France heads in his team's first goal against Nigeria.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Greece, left, shoots and scores late in the second half to tie Costa Rica during a game in Recife, Brazil, on Sunday, June 29. The elimination-round game ended with a final score of 1-1. Costa Rica advanced by winning a penalty kick shootout.

Bryan Ruiz of Costa Rica scores his team's goal against Greece.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of the Netherlands shoots and scores his team's second goal on a stoppage-time penalty kick during a World Cup game against Mexico in Fortaleza, Brazil, on June 29. The Netherlands won 2-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands (No. 10) celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Mexico.

Giovani dos Santos of Mexico celebrates scoring his team's goal against the Netherlands.

James Rodriguez of Colombia, left, celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, June 28. Colombia won the game 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. Rodriguez had both goals.

Rodriguez shoots and scores his team's first goal against Uruguay.

Brazil's goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, concedes a goal to Alexis Sanchez during a World Cup game against Chile in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on June 28. The first game of the elimination round ended with a score of 1-1. Brazil advanced to the quarterfinals by winning a penalty kick shootout.

Chile's goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo, can't stop the ball from going in for a Brazil goal. The goal was initially awarded to David Luiz, center, but it was later determined to be an own goal by Chile's Gonzalo Jara.

Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen celebrates after scoring during a World Cup match against South Korea on Thursday, June 26, at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.

Algeria forward Islam Slimani, right, heads the ball to score a goal past Russia's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev during a World Cup match at the Baixada Arena in Curitiba, Brazil.

Portugal's forward and captain Cristiano Ronaldo scores during the match against Ghana on Thursday, June 26. Portugal won 2-1.

Ghana's Asamoah Gyan heads the ball to score a goal against Portugal during a World Cup game in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 26.

Thomas Mueller of Germany shoots and scores a goal against the United States in Recife, Brazil, on June 26. Germany won the match 1-0.

Ghana defender John Boye, center, hits the ball to score an own-goal as Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho, right, watches on and Ghana goalkeeper Fatau Dauda tries to defend on June 26.

Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, third from left, celebrates with forward Josip Drmic next to Honduras' goalkeeper Noel Valladares after scoring his team's third goal against Honduras in Manaus, Brazil, on Wednesday, June 25. Switzerland won 3-0.

Shaqiri celebrates with forward Drmic, back, after scoring his team's second goal against Honduras.

Shaqiri celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Honduras.

Avdija Vrsajevic of Bosnia-Herzegovina shoots and scores his team's third goal past goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi of Iran during a match in Salvador, Brazil, on June 25. Bosnia-Herzegovina won 3-1.

Memphis Depay of the Netherlands scores his team's second goal past Chile's goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in Sao Paulo on June 23. Netherlands won 2-0.

Juan Mata scores the third goal for Spain past Mathew Ryan of Australia at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, on June 23. Spain defeated Australia 3-0, but neither team will advance to the next round.

David Villa of Spain scores his team's first goal past Mathew Ryan of Australia.

Portugal forward Silvestre Varela gets up after scoring his team's dramatic second goal in the last moments against the United States at Arena Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, on Sunday, June 22. The final result was a 2-2 draw.

Clint Dempsey, left, of the United States celebrates scoring his team's second and go-ahead goal against Portugal.

Jermaine Jones of the United States celebrates scoring his team's first goal in the second half against Portugal.

Portugal's Nani, center, celebrates scoring a goal against the United States. He scored on a cross about 6 yards out from the goal.

South Korean forward Koo Ja-cheol scores his team's second goal against Algeria at the Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 22. Algeria won 4-2.

Argentina forward and captain Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the only goal in Argentina's World Cup victory over Iran on June 21 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Enner Valencia of Ecuador scores his team's second goal on a header against Jerry Bengtson and Juan Carlos Garcia of Honduras on Friday, June 20, in Curitiba, Brazil. The goal brought the score to 2-1, Ecuador.

Karim Benzema slips the ball past Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio for France's fourth goal. It was Benzema's third goal of the tournament.

France's Mathieu Valbuena runs past Benaglio after giving his team a 3-0 lead in the first half.

Blaise Matuidi celebrates his first-half goal, which gave France a 2-0 lead.

Benaglio kneels near the net after French forward Olivier Giroud, far right, headed in a goal to open the scoring.

Costa Rican forward Bryan Ruiz heads the ball past Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon during the first half of a World Cup match Friday, June 20, in Recife, Brazil. Costa Rica held on to win 1-0 and clinch a spot in the next round of the tournament.

Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez drills a shot to score a late second-half goal and defeat England 2-1 in a World Cup match Thursday, June 19, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Suarez had both of Uruguay's goals.

England forward Wayne Rooney taps the ball past Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to tie the match at 1-1. It was Rooney's first World Cup goal in his career.

Suarez celebrates after steering a header past English goalkeeper Joe Hart in the first half.

Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina fails to stop a second-half shot by Ivory Coast forward Gervinho during a World Cup match Thursday, June 19, in Brasilia, Brazil. Colombia won the match 2-1.

Colombian forward Juan Fernando Quintero celebrates after his goal gave his team a 2-0 lead.

Colombia players dance after the first goal of the game, which was scored by James Rodriguez (No. 10) on a header.

Mario Mandzukic of Croatia scores his second goal past Charles Itandje of Cameroon during a World Cup match Wednesday, June 18, in Manaus, Brazil. Croatia won 4-0, eliminating Cameroon from World Cup contention.

Chilean players celebrate together after midfielder Charles Aranguiz gave them a 2-0 lead against Spain. Chile won the match by that score, eliminating the defending world champions from the soccer tournament.

Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan can't reach a shot by Memphis Depay on June 18. Depay's second-half goal gave the Netherlands a 3-2 victory in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Robin Van Persie of the Netherlands ties the game at 2-2 with a close-range shot in the second half. It was Van Persie's third goal of the tournament.

A penalty kick from Australian captain Mile Jedinak gives the "Socceroos" a 2-1 lead over the Netherlands. The penalty was awarded after a handball was called against Dutch defender Daryl Janmaat.

Australian forward Tim Cahill celebrates after scoring a goal against the Netherlands. His impressive volley tied the match at 1-1.

Arjen Robben of the Netherlands opens the scoring. It was his third goal of the tournament.

Russian forward Alexander Kerzhakov, second from right, scores the final goal of a 1-1 draw against South Korea on Tuesday, June 17, in Cuiaba, Brazil.

Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev fails to stop South Korea from scoring the first goal of the game late in the second half.

Belgium's Dries Mertens shoots what would turn out to be the winning goal during a World Cup match against Algeria on June 17 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Belgium won the match 2-1 after trailing 1-0 at halftime.

Marouane Fellaini of Belgium, far right, tied the game with a powerful header in the second half.

Sofiane Feghouli scores on a penalty kick to give Algeria a 1-0 lead.

American defender John Brooks, bottom left, celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Ghana during a World Cup match Monday, June 16, in Natal, Brazil. The United States won 2-1 thanks to Brooks' header in the 86th minute.

Andre Ayew of Ghana celebrates after scoring a second-half goal to tie the United States.

Clint Dempsey of the United States reacts after scoring in the first minute of the Ghana match.

Germany's Thomas Mueller scores his third goal of the game -- and the fourth for his team -- en route to a 4-0 pasting of Portugal on June 16.

Mueller's second goal put Germany up 3-0 right before halftime in Salvador, Brazil.

Mats Hummels, right, celebrates after heading in a corner kick to put Germany up 2-0.

Mueller opens the scoring on a penalty kick, slotting the ball past Rui Patricio of Portugal. The penalty was awarded after Mario Goetze was brought down in the box.

Substitute Vedad Ibisevic shoots past Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero to score Bosnia-Herzegovina's historic first World Cup goal Sunday, June 15, at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. But Argentina won the match 2-1.

Argentina's Marcos Rojo celebrates after Sead Kolasinac of Bosnia-Herzegovina scored an own goal in the early minutes of the game.

Karim Benzema, left, celebrates with teammate Blaise Matuidi after scoring France's third goal against Honduras on June 15. It was his second goal of the match, which France won 3-0 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares, right, scores an unfortunate own goal after a shot by Benzema rebounded off the post. It was confirmed by FIFA's new goal-line technology.

Benzema celebrates with Patrice Evra after scoring France's first goal against Honduras.

Substitute Haris Seferovic scores Switzerland's winning goal against Ecuador, beating goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez in the third minute of extra time to secure a 2-1 victory in the Group E opener June 15 in Brasilia, Brazil.

Gervinho, left, celebrates with Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast after scoring the team's second goal in their World Cup match against Japan on Saturday, June 14. Ivory Coast trailed 1-0 at halftime but came back to win 2-1 in Recife, Brazil.

Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima tries in vain to stop a Wilfried Bony header from going in for Ivory Coast's first goal.

Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring his team's third and final goal during a match against Greece on June 14 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Colombia won 3-0.

Colombia forward Teofilo Gutierrez scores the second goal.

Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis fails to keep out a deflected shot by Colombia's Pablo Armero in the fifth minute of the match.

Jean Beausejour of Chile shoots and scores the final goal during his team's 3-1 win over Australia on Friday, June 13, in Cuiaba, Brazil.

Australian forward Tim Cahill heads in a first-half goal to cut Chile's lead to one. Chile had a 2-0 lead at the time.

The ball bulges the back of the net after Chile's Jorge Valdivia scored in the 14th minute of the game. The goal came within two minutes of Chile's first goal.

Chile forward Alexis Sanchez kicks the ball past two Australians to score the opening goal of the match.

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, right, reacts after Dutch forward Arjen Robben, center, scored to put the finishing touches on a 5-1 win for the Netherlands on June 13. It was Robben's second goal of the match, which was played in Salvador, Brazil.

Netherlands forward Robin van Persie, left, celebrates after scoring his second goal of the match to put the Dutch up 4-1.

Stefan de Vrij, right, deflects the ball in for the Netherlands' third goal while van Persie collides with Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Robben slides on the ground after scoring his first goal. It gave the Dutch a 2-1 lead in the second half.

Van Persie scores a diving header in the first half of the match against Spain. It tied the score at 1-1.

Xabi Alonso scores on a penalty kick to give Spain an early 1-0 lead.

Oribe Peralta celebrates after scoring the only goal in Mexico's 1-0 win over Cameroon on June 13 in Natal, Brazil.

Brazilian midfielder Oscar, right, celebrates after scoring a late goal to give his team a 3-1 win over Croatia in the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, June 12.

Neymar scores a penalty kick to give Brazil a 2-1 lead. It was Neymar's second goal of the match, which was played in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa dives but fails to stop the ball as Neymar scores his first goal to tie the match at 1-1.

Brazil's Marcelo, second from right, accidentally deflects the ball past his own goalkeeper, Julio Cesar. It was the first goal of the tournament, and it put the host country in an early hole.

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

World Cup kicked off June 12 with host Brazil beating Croatia

32 teams are divided into eight groups of four teams

Top two teams in each group go to knockout stages

Final takes place on Sunday July 13 in Rio de Janeiro

Editor's note: How are you celebrating the World Cup? Join the global conversation on CNN's Facebook Pulse

Neymar (Brazil): One of the youngest players for the host team has a nice resume, including a stint with Real Madrid's youth team before signing his first professional contract at 17. Despite a mediocre debut this past season with powerhouse Barcelona, the 22-year-old has 31 goals in 48 appearances for Brazil and was controversially left off the 2010 World Cup team. Expect him to find the net, especially when you consider his wildly talented supporting cast.

Darijo Srna (Croatia): Srna, right, is Croatia's team captain and most-capped player. He plays professionally for Shakhtar Donetsk, whose stadium is an hour's drive from the Ukraine-Russia border. Chelsea and Bayern Munich have unsuccessfully courted the midfielder and right back, who has an eye for goal. But he said his heart led him to stay in Ukraine. Oh, and he has a leg tattoo of a deer (or "srna" in Croatian) playing soccer.

Miguel Herrera (Mexico): OK, fine, he's an ex-player. But forget Oribe Peralta, Giovani dos Santos and Chicharito. No position for El Tri has been more in dispute than manager. Since Javier Aguirre was sacked after the 2010 World Cup, five managers have helmed Mexico. Herrera's first squad thrashed New Zealand 9-3 in a two-game playoff to qualify for the World Cup. But given Mexico's group, don't expect his next games to go so swimmingly.

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon): The first World Cup for Eto'o, left, was in 1998, but don't call him old. He'll make you look silly, as he did in May when he mocked his Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho, with an old-man goal celebration. If you ask Eto'o, he has two more World Cups in him. The 33-year-old will prove integral to the Indomitable Lions' campaign, having notched 56 goals in 117 caps (not to mention 300+ goals for clubs in Russia, Italy, Spain and England).

Diego Costa (Spain): Picking one player among the reigning world and European champions is tough. But Costa, left, promises to entertain -- and not solely because Spain and the host nation sparred over the Brazil-born striker's services. After receiving horse placenta treatment (uh-huh) on his injured hamstring, Costa started in the Champions League final only to aggravate the injury and come off after nine minutes.

Daley Blind (Netherlands): He's no goal machine, but Ajax's 2012-13 Player of the Year is a true box-to-box midfielder. With Kevin Strootman out due to injury, the 24-year-old understudy should see additional playing time for his country. He'll have extra motivation, too: His father, Danny Blind, who also played for Ajax, is a coach for the national team and has been tapped to take the team's reins following the 2016 European Championship.

Alexis Sanchez (Chile): If La Roja wants to escape from a group boasting both 2010 World Cup finalists, it'll need a strong showing from this 25-year-old forward, seen at right. Sanchez can score, finding the net eight times in 11 caps last year. He also knows how to set up his teammates, as he's racked up 34 assists to complement the 47 goals he's scored in club competition since Barcelona paid generously for his services in 2011.

Tim Cahill (Australia): Cahill, right, is the Socceroos' all-time leading scorer and their oldest player. In 2012, he left Everton after eight seasons in the English Premier League, saying he hoped a move to the New York Red Bulls would prolong his international career. The good news for Australia is he's become more of a goal scorer since joining New York. The bad news? He's netted only one for New York this season.

James Rodriguez (Colombia): He looks like a kid but brings a mature game for a 22-year-old. Lightning-quick with deft ball control and passing, he's earned lofty comparisons to Colombian demigod Carlos Valderrama. Days before his 19th birthday in 2010, Rodriguez joined Porto, where he played three seasons before Monaco paid €45 million for his transfer. He notched 10 goals and 12 assists for the French side this season.

Theofanis Gekas (Greece): Greece doesn't have any major stars on the international stage. Nor does it have overtly dangerous goal scorers. So it'll be interesting to see how Gekas, a 34-year-old club journeyman, performs in a relatively weak group. With 24 international goals and a ton of experience -- including club stints in Turkey, Spain, Germany, England and Greece -- he has the wherewithal to make a difference.

Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast): He says he'd be considered the world's best player if he weren't African. That's arguable -- read the soccer blogs -- but he's a force. At 6-foot-3, he aptly plays defensive midfielder but has tremendous ball control and knows how to find the net (see his 20 goals for Manchester City this season). Let's hope his remarks on birthdays and race don't distract World Cup watchers from his considerable skills.

Shinji Kagawa (Japan): The attacking midfielder's speed, vision and creativity would likely guarantee the 25-year-old a spot on any club in the world. But this year, an underachieving and in-transition Manchester United featured him in only 18 games. He went goalless and notched only three assists. He'll need to shake off the rust if Japan is to advance out of an up-for-grabs Group C.

Luis Suarez (Uruguay): Yes, he just had knee surgery, and Coach Oscar Tabarez says he can't be sure his magical goal conjurer will play. If Suarez plays, he promises to be a strong storyline in a tightly contested group. If he doesn't play, ditto. Uruguay has other goal scorers in Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan, but neither enjoyed the form that Suarez displayed this season in netting 31 goals as part of the high-octane Liverpool offense.

Joel Campbell (Costa Rica): Keep an eye on the 21-year-old. Costa Rica's opponents certainly will. Signed by Arsenal at age 18, he's spent the last three years on loan to French, Spanish and Greek clubs. USA fans will also remember him for his ridiculous dive during a World Cup qualifier last year. He'll be looking to redeem himself -- and his ho-hum club form of late -- with a memorable Cup, but he'll have his work cut out.

Adam Lallana (England): For the casual fan, the 26-year-old might not be among England's big names. Three years ago, he was playing in England's third division, and he hasn't scored in five caps. But he tallied 10 goals and six assists for an overachieving Southampton squad this season. As club captain, he's also displayed the leadership to complement his strong finishing, passing and tackling.

Mario Balotelli (Italy): The Azzurri is stacked with some of the world's most skilled players, including Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Pirlo, but with one off-the-wall antic Balotelli can become the story. With as many hairstyles as goal celebrations, the 23-year-old AC Milan forward loves to bring drama, but he has serious finishing skills. That will be important for an aging Italy squad known for hunkering down on defense.

Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland): The Swiss don't have much offensive firepower (only one player has double-digit international goals), but that might change as this 22-year-old is earning comparisons to the world's top attackers. Why haven't you heard of him? Three reasons: Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Thomas Mueller. Some of the world's best players are attacking midfielders at Shaqiri's club, Bayern Munich. Good mentors for a budding star.

Christian Noboa (Ecuador): Noboa, right, plies his trade in Russia and is known for creativity, solid passing and vision. He's not a goal scorer, but Ecuador will rely on him to generate offense because, with little defense to speak of, it will need to outscore its opponents. If Antonio Valencia, Jefferson Montero and qualifying star Felipe Caicedo can get on the end of Noboa's passes, that's not at all far-fetched.

Paul Pogba (France): Les Blues want to forget a 2010 World Cup in which numerous kerfuffles between the players and manager made them a laughingstock. Pogba could be key to washing away those memories and is doubtless a future star for France. He'll feature in one of the World Cup's most talented midfields, feeding a dangerous striker corps. If you think Pogba is too young to crack the lineup, ask his teammate, onetime Juventus mainstay Claudio Marchisio, what he thinks.

Jerry Bengston (Honduras): His performance for the New England Revolution has been lackluster. Just months ago, he wasn't sure he'd make the World Cup squad. He got the nod, likely because when you put him in Honduras' blue and white, he delivers a goal every other game on average. He's especially lethal with his back to goal. Honduras is outmatched on paper, so Los Catrachos will need Bengston and Carlo Costly to find the net.

Angel Di Maria (Argentina): The perennially talented Argentines are a favorite to advance thanks to a strong defense and a set of strikers that would make any nation drool. The speed and pinpoint passing of Di Maria, left, should make the Real Madrid playmaker the star of an aging midfield. And Argentina's strike force should benefit considerably from linking up with a man who posted 87 assists (coupled with 36 goals) in the last four years for his Spanish club.

Vedad Ibisevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina): An ex-NCAA freshman of the year with Saint Louis University, Ibisevic, left, served stints in the lower leagues of France and Germany before entering the Bundesliga. Since joining Stuttgart in 2012, he's bagged 33 goals, and he has 20 goals in 51 caps for the national team. Big at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, defenders will surely look to keep him and fellow goalhound Edin Dzeko away from goal.

Steven Beitashour (Iran): If Iran is to make it out of the group stage for the first time -- in a likely scramble for Group E's second-place spot behind Argentina -- it will need a spirited performance from its California-born defender. A true dual threat, the Vancouver Whitecaps right back and 2012 MLS All-Star is efficient on the back line and can also streak forward. Since 2011, he has led all MLS defenders in assists.

Ahmed Musa (Nigeria): At 21, Musa has blazing speed but a habit of flubbing goal opportunities. In 37 caps for Nigeria, he's found the net only five times. Expect the Super Eagles to counterattack, and with John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses in the midfield, you can also expect the passes to be on time. Whether Musa and fellow international underachiever Peter Odemwingie can make the most of them may dictate Nigeria's fate.

Miroslav Klose (Germany): With his nose for goal and a knack for nodding headers home, Klose will be on defenders' minds. His 36th birthday falling days before the Cup, the elder statesman has 14 World Cup goals, one shy of Ronaldo (no, not that Ronaldo -- Brazil's Ronaldo, the one who actually has scored proficiently in World Cups). After breaking Gerd Muller's German scoring record, Klose will look to add the World Cup scoring record to his list of accolades.

Nani (Portugal): Yeah, yeah, we were supposed to pick Cristiano Ronaldo. But with a witch doctor tampering with CR7's leg, Portugal could find itself needing some speed and creativity. Enter the Manchester United winger, whose international experience is second only to Ronaldo's. With Portugal's midfield being a relative weak spot, a lot will ride on Nani's performance. He'll need to improve on his club form of late if Portugal is to go deep.

Mix Diskerud (USA): He says it's an honor to wear the No. 10 donned by Tab Ramos, Claudio Reyna and Landon Donovan. With the latter, Team America's top scorer, surprisingly omitted from the team, the USA will need goals. While the 23-year-old midfielder buried one in a recent Azerbaijan friendly, the burden can't fall wholly on him. Clever and quick, look for him to seek out the more goal-minded Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore.

Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana): The Black Stars have aging stars. It's unclear if Michael Essien and Asamoah Gyan can match their past performances, so much will be expected of KPB. An astute tackler with decent speed -- and a resume that includes knocking the U.S. team out of the 2010 World Cup -- the German-born midfielder must finish and tackle well. He'll also need to be careful, because he's no stranger to bookings.

Adnan Januzaj (Belgium): The Belgians are young, and none is younger than the Manchester United wunderkind, seen at right. With one cap to his name -- and surrounded by some of soccer's top stars -- the 19-year-old might not see the field much. But consider this: In his first start for Manchester United, at 18, he scored two goals in a come-from-behind win over Sunderland. Legend has it that at age 6, he once scored 17 goals in a youth game. And if he gets playing time, he certainly won't lack confidence.

Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria): This guy's fun to watch. A midfielder for Valencia, he's arguably Algeria's most talented player despite being only 24. While he's capable of the occasional goal, defenders will be more worried about his quickness, ball control and his ability to place a pass on a teammate's foot in stride. Algeria has an inexperienced set of strikers, so they should benefit from being on the end of Feghouli's top-drawer passing.

Ki Sung-yueng (South Korea): He's a controversial young fellow. He's snarked at fans, insulted his manager and once celebrated an Asian Cup goal with an impersonation that had some Japanese crying racism. Most recently, he put the wrong hand on his chest during the national anthem. All that aside, he's a talented central midfielder who's made more than one defender look silly since joining the English Premier League in 2012.

Maksim Kanunnikov (Russia): Boy, Fabio Capello better have this one right. The 22-year-old's first cap was last month, and his resume with three Russian clubs is mediocre. So why is he a player to watch? Because one has to wonder what Capello saw in Kanunnikov that convinced him to select him over the more talented Andrei Arshavin and Pavel Pogrebnyak. Will he break out or break down?

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

32 players to watch during the World Cup

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32 players to watch during the World Cup

Jurgen Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley as the U.S. manager in 2011.

He came with a big reputation, scoring goals for Bayern Munich, Inter, Tottenham, Monaco, Stuttgart -- and of course the German national team.

Under Klinsmann and assistant Joachim Low, second from left, Germany enjoyed a successful World Cup on home soil in 2006, too, reaching the semifinals.

But Klinsmann, who would go on to become Bayern Munich's manager, was heavily criticized by Germany defender Philipp Lahm.

Klinsmann didn't last one season at Bayern and was fired in April 2009.

Klinsmann hasn't been given an easy ride by the U.S. media. A story last year citing unnamed people connected to the U.S. team came down harshly on the 49-year-old.

In his biggest call yet, Klinsmann omitted Landon Donovan from the U.S. 2014 World Cup squad.

With Klinsmann at the helm, however, the U.S. achieved historic wins against Mexico and, pictured here, Italy in pre-tournament matches. The USMNT reached the second round of Brazil 2014, before suffering extra-time elimination at the hands of Belgium.

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

Klinsmann in hot seat

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Klinsmann in hot seat

Cameroon's star striker Samuel Eto'o is one of several top African footballers seeking to make amends for past World Cup disappointments at Brazil 2014.

Like Eto'o, Ivory Coast stars Didier Drogba (L) and Yaya Toure had a less than memorable World Cup in South Africa four years ago.

Cameroon was the first African nation to really take the World Cup by storm in 1990 as a 38-year-old Roger Milla inspired the Indomitable Lions to a quarterfinal spot -- a first at the time for an African side.

Egypt was the first African side to qualify for a World Cup in 1934, but the continent had to wait another 36 years until it had another representative. Morocco (pictured) featured in 1970 and became the first African nation to pick up a point thanks to a draw with Bulgaria.

The first African team to win at a World Cup was Tunisia in 1978. Despite failing to progress past the first round, Tunisia beat Mexico 3-1 in Argentina.

Nigeria reached the last 16 in 1994 at their debut World Cup. Rashidi Yekini celebrates after his side score their first goal of the campaign against Bulgaria.

Senegal became the second African side to reach the quarterfinal stage of a World Cup in 2002. It kicked things off in style by defeating the reigning world champions France 1-0 on the opening day of the tournament.

South Africa became the first African nation to stage a World Cup in 2010. Despite being backed by some incredible support, the hosts failed to make it out of the group stage.

Ghana could have become the first African nation to reach the semifinal stage of a World Cup in 2010, only for Luis Suarez's hands to deny Dominic Adiyiah's last-minute goal-bound header. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting spot-kick, before Uruguay went on to win the ensuing penalty shootout.